Bringing the Iron Islands into the fold.

[Ser Frasier of House Crane]

Then the program will only hold as long as the mainland are willing to put pressure on them. When the external threat end (In this case - 10 years) all willingness to reform will end and instead you will see powerful and popular counter-reforms. Soon, it will all be undone.

There is a reason we see on the Islands a more traditionbased thinking with a new rebellion as well as a kingsmout later. 

It simply doesn´t work. 

The only reason there is a kingsmoot in the first place is because Theon is believed dead, Asha can't inherit because she's a woman, and Aeron didn't want Euron on the Seastone Chair. It had nothing to do with whether or not Theon was a true ironborn. If Balon had died of natural causes and Theon had taken his father's seat, there might be disappointment from Asha and Aeron, but by virtue of being of Balon's blood he's got Vic's support and Aeron would rather it be Theon who sits the Seastone Chair than a godless heathen like the Crow's Eye.

The ironborn didn't bridle under Quellon (or, at least, enough to make a difference). His sons were the driving force of reverting back to the Old Way, but after Balon's failed rebellion, a lot of the major ironborn houses had lost their taste for war. They've been under mainland dominion ever since Aegon's Conquest; Balon's folly basically ensures that they never rebel again because their livelihoods and very ironborn essence are at stake, which is why each major house surrenders their heir to be raised away from the Iron Islands. Sure, maybe all of them don't take to the Seven (Theon didn't), but if you wed each one to a mainlander, you're essentially ensuring that there is some definite influence. The ironborn won't like it, sure, but they lost their war and if they don't like it, the full fury of Westeros can raze them to the sea. The first time the ironborn went up against the throne, the Hoares were extinguished. The second time, you strip every heir away from every major house on the isles. There will not be a third time.

[Antares8]

I'm so glad that somebody asked this, because I have this elaborate fantasy in my head about destroying the Old Way (aka "reap, murder, rape, and pillage when, where, and whomever we please"). It goes like thus:

1. Acquire fleet and powerful military presence to ensure that the plan goes off with minimum casualties.

2. Census.

3. Round them up island by island, making sure to compare the results of the roundup to the results of the census.

4. Move them out of the Iron Islands. Obviously this can't be done all at once, but if the islands were depopulated one by one.... Also, institute a blockade to ensure that few if any other ironmen flee to the other islands for shelter or warning. We want to keep this secret as long as possible to prevent as many people as possible from running.

5. Sadly, someone will inevitably escape and start spreading the news. At that point, acknowledge that you're depopulating the Iron Islands and emphasize that EVERY slave and sex slave (I mean, "thrall" and "salt wife") will be liberated when the depopulators come calling.

6. Once the ironborn are off their miserable rocks, scatter them to the winds. Each region should have a quota of sorts, helped out by the census. I mean, after all these wars and winter and zombies and whatnot, there's going to be a lot of land in need of cultivation. Stick the ironborn onto that land, give them an easy crop to grow, and keep them from leaving. It's especially important to make sure that they are SEPARATE and that every region has more natives than ironborn.

7. Help the slaves get home. Underage offspring of salt wives can go with their mothers unless the mother wants nothing to do with them (sad but true, as most would have been born of rape). Pass laws to protect  these children, making them legitimate and forbidding people to abuse them. Yes, that will be a LOT easier said than done, not to mention messy, but a good ruler would at least try to protect them. Once they're of age, though, they can choose to do whatever they want.

8. Find a way of dealing with troublemakers. Geld them, send them to the Wall (if it still exists at the end of the series....), make them build a new Wall, execute the worst, spread rumors that troublemakers get sent to Skagos.

9. Send the Seastone Chair (and maybe other artifacts of comparable importance) to Oldtown for study.

10. Give Old Wyk, the holiest of the Iron Islands, to the Faith of the Seven, preferably to the Warrior's Sons.

11. Fill as much of the remainder of the land as physically possible with greyscale sufferers, because someone decided it was a good idea to bring a virulent version of an inevitably fatal disease to the continent, and we really have to do something about that too. So stick them on the Iron Islands.

I honestly think that completely dismantling the ironborn culture is the only way to bring the Iron Islands 'into the fold.' Throughout virtually all of Westeros's history, they have been murderers, rapists, thieves, and so on. Their culture doesn't just accept these atrocities, it glorifies them. Dalton Greyjoy, the Red Kraken, is remembered as a hero. The few times that people tried to bring a less horrible culture to the Iron Islands (Wolfgar Widowmaker Hoare, Horgan Hoare, the three Harmunds, even Quellon Greyjoy), their attempts were undone in upsurges of popular fury.

So just putting a 'good' lord or king or whatever in charge isn't going to work. You need to go after the culture itself, not the leadership. So separate the people. Raise children in places that DON'T follow the Old Way, where their families aren't their only influence. Keep them away from the oceans. Let them see that murder and so on have consequences, that they can't get away with it anymore. Destroy the symbols of their culture. Fill the Iron Islands with dangerous people (the contagious, the armed religious fanatics) so they can't go back even to birth their children, for children not born on the Iron Islands aren't 'real' ironborn.

Yes, it's difficult. Yes, there will be unexpected side effects, logistical problems, fatalities, and so on. It will be very difficult for the ironborn to adapt, and it's probably inevitable that their innocent, non-ironborn children will suffer the stigma of descent from a society of rapists. But the three other alternatives can't or won't work. Genocide is just plain evil. Installing a decent lord has never worked in the past and has led to violent reprisal. Letting things go on as they are now is unacceptable, because it WILL result in another Red Kraken or Harren the Black or Euron. In the long run, this plan of action will help more than it will hurt.

[Andal blood]

I would essentially do something like this:

1. Outlaw the religion of the Drowned God. All the priests has to swear off their faith and will not be allowed to continue their practice. If they do they will be killed in gruesome ways. Outspoken and strong religious zealots will be killed without being given the opportunity to renounce their faith. Anyone known to pray to the drowned god will be whipped and have their kids being taken from them. All their land will also be seized.

2. Subsidize the Faith of the Seven to spread the knowledge of the true gods.

3. Establish a inquisition.

4. Local elites will be either removed or integrated depending on their willingness to help the state.

5. Forcibly remove some parts of the population to free land as pension-gifts to your loyal soldiers from the mainland. The Iron islands in exodus can be settled on worn-torn parts of the mainland as peasants.

6. Land seizures from troublemakers and the former houses will be redistributed to immigrants of the faith of the seven religion.

7. Church attendance duty every sunday. Failure do attend will result in increased taxes and also possibly lashes.

8. Burn all temples and sites of worship. Destroy every book and memory of the God under the sea.

[Wavey Sauce]

The only reason there is a kingsmoot in the first place is because Theon is believed dead, Asha can't inherit because she's a woman, and Aeron didn't want Euron on the Seastone Chair. It had nothing to do with whether or not Theon was a true ironborn. If Balon had died of natural causes and Theon had taken his father's seat, there might be disappointment from Asha and Aeron, but by virtue of being of Balon's blood he's got Vic's support and Aeron would rather it be Theon who sits the Seastone Chair than a godless heathen like the Crow's Eye.

The ironborn didn't bridle under Quellon (or, at least, enough to make a difference). His sons were the driving force of reverting back to the Old Way, but after Balon's failed rebellion, a lot of the major ironborn houses had lost their taste for war. They've been under mainland dominion ever since Aegon's Conquest; Balon's folly basically ensures that they never rebel again because their livelihoods and very ironborn essence are at stake, which is why each major house surrenders their heir to be raised away from the Iron Islands. Sure, maybe all of them don't take to the Seven (Theon didn't), but if you wed each one to a mainlander, you're essentially ensuring that there is some definite influence. The ironborn won't like it, sure, but they lost their war and if they don't like it, the full fury of Westeros can raze them to the sea. The first time the ironborn went up against the throne, the Hoares were extinguished. The second time, you strip every heir away from every major house on the isles. There will not be a third time.

The first part is wrong. If Asha couldn't rule at all then she wouldn't have even had a shot or participated in the Kings Moot. If she would have won she would have ruled.

But yes the way they look at heirs and woman is different from the regular customs

[Lee-Sensei]

Let's assume we are talking after Balon's Rebellion and Robert as King.

I take Balon's head, and send Theon to the Wall. I fold the Iron Islands into the North, making Ned responsible for them.

Next I name Jorah Mormont as lord of Pyke (he impressed me during the war) and arrange a marriage between Jorah and Ashra.

I have Ned and Jorah meet with all of the Lords of the Iron Islands, those that swear fealty to King Robert, and to Ned Stark receive secondary lands and holds in the North to promote agriculture and timber (possibly in the gift?).

Any that are not co-operating I remove (either death or the Black) and give their holds to second sons of loyal Northern Bannermen.

I then make a deal with Jorah and Ned, that the the Iron Islands will build a Northern/ Western fleet that the Crown will pay half of (the North will pay the other half) as well as buy a limited number of ships for the Royal fleet in King's Landing. I encourage Ned to put half of the Fleet out of White Harbor to protect both sides and to keep the Iron Islands from having too much power.

This should help the Iron Islands start to transform from pirates to ship builders.

Why should he give Ned the Iron Islands and why would the Iron. Born accept it? That's just going to create a bunch of new problems down the line.

[House Mauldania]

Find a house that is willing to play ball, make them Lord Paramount and then send troops to keep the peace until they can be reprogrammed into Greenlanders. 

[devilish]

The days or reaving and pillaging Westeros died the day Aegon united the 7 kingdoms. Having said that, it doesn't mean that the iron islands had to remain poor. A good Lord Paramount of the iron islands would

a- start negotiations with the crown and all others Lord Paramounts especially the Starks. The Greyjoys can make good money in transporting goods between the Northern part of Westeros (the North, The Riverlands and the Vale), whose hardly known for their fleet and Essos for a price. Such wealth will enrich all these houses involved and would improve the reputation of the Greyjoys.

b- Consolidate these new friendship with marriage ties. The Starks has a fierce army but their lands are so vast that makes it impossible to regroup such army quickly. The Greyjoys compliment to them by having an incredible fleet but lack of warriors on the field. If the Greyjoys are able to earn the trust of the mainland lords, than it will be only a matter of time before Lord Paramounts like Rickard Stark and Hoster Tully will acknowledge their ways and allow them to marry their daughters. Soon enough Iron Island's lords will be able to send their own children to the mainland to train under various Lords hence improving their sword fighting ability. 

c- Once an alliance between Starks and Greyjoys is secured then plan for the colonization of new lands. The land beyond the Wall is close to iron islands, its poorly organized and poorly lead. The haunted forest provides a fertile land rich with timber.  A fleet may be able to reach it through through the Gorge. The Thenn is rich with bronze. Through such invasion the Greyjoys will add more land to their kingdom, it will give some relief to the North adding to their popularity there and more land to the Kingdom as a whole. I am also confident that both the night's watch and the Starks would give a hand at that point especially if Greyjoys and Starks are able to join houses

d- Once the Greyjoys had colonized and stabilized the land beyond the wall they can aim for other pickings. The Summer Islands could be the next target. The land is ruled by a number of independent kings who are barely versed in the arts of war, which makes them easy pickings. Jalabhar Xho would be a good person to start with. 

[Protagoras]

The only reason there is a kingsmoot in the first place is because Theon is believed dead, Asha can't inherit because she's a woman, and Aeron didn't want Euron on the Seastone Chair. It had nothing to do with whether or not Theon was a true ironborn. If Balon had died of natural causes and Theon had taken his father's seat, there might be disappointment from Asha and Aeron, but by virtue of being of Balon's blood he's got Vic's support and Aeron would rather it be Theon who sits the Seastone Chair than a godless heathen like the Crow's Eye.

The ironborn didn't bridle under Quellon (or, at least, enough to make a difference). His sons were the driving force of reverting back to the Old Way, but after Balon's failed rebellion, a lot of the major ironborn houses had lost their taste for war. They've been under mainland dominion ever since Aegon's Conquest; Balon's folly basically ensures that they never rebel again because their livelihoods and very ironborn essence are at stake, which is why each major house surrenders their heir to be raised away from the Iron Islands. Sure, maybe all of them don't take to the Seven (Theon didn't), but if you wed each one to a mainlander, you're essentially ensuring that there is some definite influence. The ironborn won't like it, sure, but they lost their war and if they don't like it, the full fury of Westeros can raze them to the sea. The first time the ironborn went up against the throne, the Hoares were extinguished. The second time, you strip every heir away from every major house on the isles. There will not be a third time.

If I was an Ironborn Lord, I would simply name someone else as Hier and groom him so when my former hier comes back with a mainlander wife he will find himself with no influence. 

Balon did try to do exactly this with Asha and itr almost worked out (She was pretty close winning the Kingsmout after all so you are clearly wrong about that women can´t inherit). I do not for a second believe that Theon had gotten his seat uncontested - in fact, why do you think Victarion will support him? Have I missed a quote somewhere? In fact - if Aeron doesnt like Theon as hier he will probably do exactly the same thing and on Iron Islands the priests do seem to have the power to change the normal succession.

The issue here is the culture, not the lords.

Another issue is that the marriages in this case is as legal as between that of Tyrion and Sansa, that is not much. 

[The Mountain that Cries]

What's with everyone saying that would take wards from the lord of the Iron Island. There culture is demanding that for them to regain there acceptance back on the islands. They would turn back to there old ways. The only proper example we have of Iron island wards is Theon and look what he did to repay his foster family. Imagine 20 Theon's and Westeros would be in flames or atleast every house with an Iron ward. There is only one way to bring them into the fold and that is extinction of every house on the islands. That's just my 2 cents.

[Ser Frasier of House Crane]

If I was an Ironborn Lord, I would simply name someone else as Hier and groom him so when my former hier comes back with a mainlander wife he will find himself with no influence. 

Balon did try to do exactly this with Asha and itr almost worked out (She was pretty close winning the Kingsmout after all so you are clearly wrong about that women can´t inherit). I do not for a second believe that Theon had gotten his seat uncontested - in fact, why do you think Victarion will support him? Have I missed a quote somewhere? In fact - if Aeron doesnt like Theon as hier he will probably do exactly the same thing and on Iron Islands the priests do seem to have the power to change the normal succession.

The issue here is the culture, not the lords.

Another issue is that the marriages in this case is as legal as between that of Tyrion and Sansa, that is not much. 

The whole reason there was a kingsmoot in the first place was because there wasn't, in the Damphair's eyes, a logical fit for the throne when it came to succession. He said Asha would never have the ironborn follow her (whether he was right about this isn't really the issue here; obviously, Asha has her supporters, but a woman has never -- so far as I know -- ruled the isles). With Theon presumed dead, Asha should've been next in line, but Euron took the throne. Asha's gender is the reason why the Crow's Eye could get away with it. Otherwise, he'd have had her killed as well to ensure he was the next one. But he didn't bother, because he knew she couldn't truly inherit the Seastone Chair in the eyes of the ironborn. That's why Aeron needed the kingsmoot, in order to get Victarion into the race.

As for Victarion supporting him, it's in one of his chapters in "Feast" (I believe his first one) where he says that he'd resigned himself to following any son of Balon's. If I can find the quote, I'll edit it in here.

As for your idea that they could just name someone else as heir, well, that's just gonna cause all sorts of succession crises on the island, and I think that you might be overestimating the island's thirst for war. Many of the major lords don't seem as devout anymore (the Goodbrothers, the Sparrs, the Blacktydes), and after getting their asses kicked and losing a huge number of their fighting men in Greyjoy's Rebellion, they probably wouldn't turn their noses up at an opportunity for peace. The Old Way had been on its way out for a long time, and hardly anyone seemed to bridle at Quellon's reforms. Theon may be a weak leader, but as others above said, if he consolidated his power by marrying a major ironborn house and then affecting a marriage pact with Robb later on to forge a northern/islander alliance, that would serve the same purpose as Ned's potential plan. It would just take longer. But I do think the ironborn, or at least the lords, were edging slowly towards a more mainlander line of thinking, just from how we see them interact (especially through a devout man like the Damphair's eyes).

[King Viserys Targaryen IV]

Why should he give Ned the Iron Islands and why would the Iron. Born accept it? That's just going to create a bunch of new problems down the line.

Because he trusts Ned to take over and take care of it with a no nonsense attitude that he does everything.

The Iron Born are going to accept or find thier heads loped off or wearing all black.

[Ser Greggor the Baked]

Victarion showing back up with some dragons just as an Ice army invades is going to put the Iron Islands in a good position. 

 

[The Mountain That Flies]

A king on the Iron Throne could make some inroads with the Ironborn by putting together a conquest of the Stepstones, led primarily by the Iron Islanders. With second sons and lesser lords receiving islands, you'll win a number of their houses to your cause while playing to the Ironborn's nature. Facilitating marriage alliances from here could start with Vale, Dornish, and Stormland families based on proximity to the Stepstones, and within a generation or two the products of these unions could be married back to the original Iron Islands. It's not perfect, but it's more reasonable than mass genocide or extremely forced cultural shifts.

[Lee-Sensei]

Because he trusts Ned to take over and take care of it with a no nonsense attitude that he does everything.

The Iron Born are going to accept or find thier heads loped off or wearing all black.

1) Um... no. That's not Roberts style.

2) Pulling off a medieval genocide is hard to do. Especially for a Kingdom with no Navy worth mentioning.

[King Viserys Targaryen IV]

1) Um... no. That's not Roberts style.

2) Pulling off a medieval genocide is hard to do. Especially for a Kingdom with no Navy worth mentioning.

The OP didn't say what Robert would do, it said what would I do.

If I were Robert this would be my plan AFTER we have already crushed the Iron Islands following Balon's Rebellion.

We have already negated the Iron Island navy, so there is no problem there. And I never said it would be easy.

[Lee-Sensei]

The OP didn't say what Robert would do, it said what would I do.

If I were Robert this would be my plan AFTER we have already crushed the Iron Islands following Balon's Rebellion.

We have already negated the Iron Island navy, so there is no problem there. And I never said it would be easy.

1) Fair enough, but honestly... It's a bad plan.

2) They don't need a Navy. The North would need a Navy large enough to support a garrison of several thousand men on the Iron a Islands.

[King Viserys Targaryen IV]

1) Fair enough, but honestly... It's a bad plan.

2) They don't need a Navy. The North would need a Navy large enough to support a garrison of several thousand men on the Iron a Islands.

They are already on the Island. Robert and his army broke through and landed on the Iron Islands.

And I put the plan about building a Navy for the North as well as supplementing the Royal Fleet.

[Dolorous22]

I'd just let them reave....my enemies. 

[Lee-Sensei]

They are already on the Island. Robert and his army broke through and landed on the Iron Islands.

And I put the plan about building a Navy for the North as well as supplementing the Royal Fleet.

1) Yes. They were. For a few days or maybe a few weeks they were on the island. However, you're scenario would require the North to continue to garrison the Islands with their troops for years.

 

2) How does it benefit Robert to have the Greyjoys swear fealty to Ned instead of him? Its not as if they were left independent.

[TimJames]

Garrisoning The Iron Islands with Greenland soldiers won't be a problem: Robert can just do what William the Conqueror did and hand out land to knights who fought bravely in battle.